


Colds, Flu's and Pandemics

by Marine226



Series: The Quarantine Files [3]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: COVID-19, Established Relationship, M/M, Quarantine, Self-Isolation, Sick Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:33:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25309792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marine226/pseuds/Marine226
Summary: Danny comes down with something, Steve thinks the worst
Relationships: Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams
Series: The Quarantine Files [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1747897
Comments: 24
Kudos: 152





	1. Chapter 1

Danny put the shopping bags on the kitchen bench and paused for a moment. He closed his eyes and put his hand on his forehead, hoping the pressure would ease his headache.

“You feeling okay?” Steve asked as he came into the kitchen.

Danny opened his eyes and quickly straightened up, “Hey, didn’t hear you come in.”

“I’m practising my ninja skills. Do you need a hand with those?” Steve asked, going forward to help unpack the bags.

“You’d better not, babe. I’ll wipe them down and – ” 

“And I’ll put them in the fridge,” Steve interrupted, “Good idea. Come on, at least let me do something, okay?”

“Okay,” Danny capitulated. 

“What was it like? Are there many people about?” Steve asked.

“Yeah, a few,” Danny responded as he handed Steve the milk, “There’s next to no one out on the roads, but there’s people in the supermarket. Not as many as normal by any stretch, but it still feels like there’s too many.”

It didn’t take long for the two men to finish unpacking the bags. They worked quietly and efficiently together.

“So uh, do you wanna play chess again?” Steve asked, “I could let you win?”

Danny gave a small chuckle, “Didn’t you try to do that last time?” 

“Okay, what about poker? We never got around to playing that game?” Steve asked.

Danny gave a tired smile, “Sorry babe, I know you’re bored. But I think I’m going to lie down for a bit.”

“You feeling sick?” Steve asked, suddenly sounding concerned.

“Just got a headache,” Danny responded, shaking his head, “Don’t want it to turn into migraine.”

“Have you taken anything for it?” 

“Yeah, a couple of aspirin this morning, before I left,” Danny replied, “I’ll be fine, just going to try to sleep it off.”

Steve nodded, “Okay, well sing out if you need anything.”

Steve frowned when he watched Danny head to the spare room, “Hey babe, you’re going the wrong way.”

“Headaches are one of the symptoms of the ‘rona. Better to be safe than sorry,” Danny called back.

Steve sighed, he hoped it was just a headache and not something more sinister.

*****

Danny woke a few hours later feeling much worse. He felt achy and his headache had magnified in intensity. He closed his eyes again and wished that he was still dreaming. But when he opened his eyes, nothing had changed.

He sighed and slowly got up. It felt like his body weighed five hundred pounds. He suppressed a groan as he stripped the bed and took it to the laundry.

“Daniel?” Steve concerned voice sounded from the other side of the hallway.

Danny stuffed the bedding into the washing machine, set it up and pressed go. “Hey babe, better keep your distance,” he said as he turned around to face his partner.

Steve pointed at the face-mask, then asked, “What’s going on?”

“I don’t know. I’m coming down with something, that’s for sure. I feel worse than I did before, so I’m going to head home for a few days – probably two weeks…” Danny replied, “And I know what you’re going to say, babe, but I can’t risk giving you this… whatever it is.”

Steve felt the protest die in his throat, he wanted to argue, but he knew Danny had a point. His partner sounded terrible; his gorgeous Jersey accent reduced to nasally ramblings. He sounded exhausted too, like when they’d spent a week finding a suspect with little sleep. So he had to finally concede defeat, “Do you want me to get you anything?”

“A new head,” Danny murmured, gingerly touching his forehead again. And Steve must have thought too hard about Danny with a different head (he looked like Frankenstein), because Danny added, “I was joking, babe.”

Steve nodded, “I know.” He walked Danny to the door, making sure he kept his distance. He wanted to hug his friend, but he knew Danny would never allow it. 

Instead, Danny held up his hand in a ‘high five’ gesture, which Steve returned with a grimace. “I’ll be back before you know it,” Danny told him, his expression betraying his emotions.

“Call me,” Steve responded, watching as Danny got into his car and drove off into the distance.


	2. Chapter 2

Steve sighed and added another piece to the puzzle he and Danny had been working on. Steve had been working on the pink pieces and he was nearly done. But there was only half a picture. The blue and yellow ones were sitting neatly to the side, untouched. Those were Danny’s pieces. 

He desperately wanted to go for a swim, if only to clear his head. But he was afraid that Danny would need him and call whilst he was out. So, he stayed put and continued adding to the puzzle.

It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours yet and he keenly felt Danny’s absence. They hadn’t been apart for this long in a long time. Danny had called last night, but the call hadn’t lasted long. Danny had been wiped out and had been falling asleep on the phone. He’d spent most of the call apologising for not being more with it.

Steve got up a jogged around the backyard, doing a few laps. Then he dropped and did fifty push ups, followed by fifty sit ups. By the end, he felt a bit better, the nagging feeling gone somewhat. But he still felt the Danny shaped hole.

He put his hands on his hips and shook his head at himself. This was stupid, he should just call the guy. He wandered back inside and snatched his phone off the table, making a few puzzle pieces fall off. Pressing speed dial 1, he put the phone to his ear, then abruptly hung up after the first ring.

“What if he’s asleep, you…. stupid moron,” Steve muttered, angry at himself for not thinking that through before ringing.

He couldn’t remember feeling this tied up with his feelings for Danny before. He felt like he was entirely dependant on Danny now, and not in an unhealthy ‘I won’t get fed’ kind of way. More in a ‘I don’t think I could live without him’ kind of way. Not that that was any healthier. 

Steve put the phone against his forehead and tried to figure out what to do. Then, the answer was made for him when his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and grimaced.

“Hey Danno,” he said, aiming for casual.

“You rang?” Danny croaked, in a pretty good impression of Lurch. It was hard to tell if it was deliberate.

Steve sat down and ran his hand through his hair, “How you feeling?”

“Just peachy,” Danny responded, then was betrayed by a long suffering groan.

“Danno?” Steve asked, sitting up straight as though in preparation for a roasting.

“Hang on,” Danny grunted, then there was a muffled sound as the phone was put down. Sounds of retching followed soon after.

“Danny?” Steve asked, knowing his friend couldn’t hear him, but he couldn’t hide his concern.

After an uncomfortably long amount of time, the phone was picked up again and Danny muttered, “Sorry.”

“So ah, feeling better then?” Steve asked in defeat.

“So much better,” Danny muttered, “Barely slept last night, woke with a fever this morning, my head’s about to pound out of my skull.”

Steve closed his eyes and hung his head, “Sounds like an amazing time.”

“How’re you doing?” Danny asked.

“Me? Oh, having a horrible time. The sun’s out, the water’s glittering so much it hurts your eyes, there’s _sand_ \- ”

“I hate sand,” Danny interrupted him.

“I know you do, pal. I miss you,” Steve responded.

“I miss you too.”

“Hey Danno, uh, did you get your flu shot this year?” Steve asked as a thought occurred to him.

“A flu – no, Steven! What? Go to a clinic and risk getting exposed to Corona? What the hell’s the matter with you?!” Danny exclaimed.

“Daniel, you know how hard the flu hits you! Do you remember 2014? Huh?” Steve asked, standing up to pace around the living room, “Do you remember how bad it got? You got admitted to hospital for three days!”

“So what? You think this is the flu? Where the hell would I have gotten it from? Huh? There’s nobody around! And I take precautions whenever I’m outside! I figured if there’s any reason to skip a year, it’s this one!” Danny exclaimed, “God, can you just – can we stop yelling? My… I feel like my eyeballs are about to pop out and my stomach... Just stop.”

Danny finished the comment so quietly, Steve nearly didn’t hear him. He took pity on his partner, he hated seeing – hearing – him like this. And he had a point after all, how would he have been exposed to any virus, be it the flu or corona?

“Hey, sorry Danny, I just… I’m worried, okay? And like I said, those three days were… they were hell for me, Danny,” Steve admitted.

“They weren’t exactly a holiday for me either,” Danny replied, then groaned again.

“Danny?”

“Still here, babe,” Danny murmured.

“Have you been able to keep down any fluids?” Steve asked, resuming his pacing again.

“Haven’t been successful. Sorry babe, gotta go,” Danny said breathlessly, then hung up.

Steve stared at his phone, knowing his friend – his lover – was now kneeling in front of the porcelain god again. He suppressed a sigh and quickly dialled another familiar number.

“Hey Noelani, can you do me a huge favour?” Steve said when the phone was answered. If he couldn’t be there for his partner, this was the least he could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought! :)
> 
> Thanks again to Phoebe!


	3. Chapter 3

Danny groaned pitifully as a tremor wracked through his body. He felt utterly miserable. He pulled the bedcovers up to his chin again as he continued trembling, trying to warm his body again. It felt like only seconds ago that he’d been overheating and had kicked the bed clothes off in a bid to cool down.

He whimpered and was ashamed to find his eyes welling up with tears. He hated being sick.

A knock at the front door startled him and despite the situation, he hoped it was Steve. The person at the door, unlocked it and entered the house.

“Detective Williams?” Noelani’s distinctive voice called.

Danny wanted to hide under the covers, feeling embarrassed about his predicament. But he figured Steve had asked her to come around, so he called back, his voice croaky from disuse, “In here.”

Noelani softly walked in and looked at him in concern, her lower face covered with a mask, “Oh Danny. How are you feeling?”

Danny nodded and let a tear escape his eye. He quickly swiped it away and the heat from embarrassment warmed his body again, making him overheat again. “Terrible,” he answered.

“Are you still vomiting?” Noelani asked.

“Yeah,” Danny sniffed, “But nothing’s coming up.”

“Okay, I’m going to start you on IV fluids and take some samples, okay? I want to know what we’re dealing with here,” Noelani told him, then started manoeuvring around him to get him sorted.

“Thank you,” Danny muttered. He carefully pulled the covers down to his waist, hoping that would cool him down enough. He was mindful that his boxers were in a state of disarray and he didn’t want to expose Noelani to that.

He quietly watched Noelani take some blood samples and set up the IV line. He swallowed down the bile that was climbing up his throat and tried to clear his throat to keep it down. He grimaced, then asked, “Did Steve call you?”

“He’s very worried, Danny. He wanted to come with me, but I talked him out of it,” Noelani responded.

“For now,” Danny allowed, fully anticipating that Steve would still try to visit. He wouldn’t put it past the man to don a biological suit and walk through the door.

Noelani smiled, probably thinking the same thing. “He cares for you a lot,” she said to him.

Danny let the comment lay there, untouched. There was no need to confirm what she clearly already knew. He and Steve hadn’t discussed what they were going to tell the team about their relationship, but the truth was, they didn’t have to say anything. There was a reason they were on the team, and it wasn’t their good looks.

“What’s that?” Danny asked croakily, as Noelani injected something into the IV port.

“Something to help with your nausea,” Noelani responded, “I’ll leave these tablets here if you need more, don’t take any for four hours. I don’t want to give you anything for your other symptoms yet, not until we know what we’re dealing with.”

“How long till you know?” Danny croaked.

Noelani smiled, “I’ll put a rush on it, I know someone at the labs who owes me a favour.”

*******

Steve adjusted his position on the couch and looked back at the book in his lap. It had been sitting open at the same page for the better part of half an hour. He reread the same paragraph again, but the words were meaningless. His mind continued wandering to Danny; the time Danny had spent in hospital with the flu felt like just yesterday.

Danny had been so sick the last time around that Steve had made it his personal mission to make sure Danny got his yearly flu shot, even if he did come down with a mild version of it every time. But this year, he’d been distracted. So distracted it had slipped his mind that he needed to frog march Danny to the clinic, and now they were paying the price.

The ringing of his phone diverted his attention from his thoughts and he mindlessly answered, “McGarrett.”

“Babe, you’re thinking too hard. I can hear you from here,” Danny’s voice croaked through the line. He sounded terrible, but at least his tone was a bit lighter. Noelani must have worked some magic when she was there.

Steve smiled, “Hey baby, how you feeling?”

“Same. Noelani just came over,” Danny told him.

“Oh? That’s uh, that’s fortunate,” Steve responded, but he should’ve known he couldn’t fool Danny.

“I know you sent her, Steven,” Danny stated.

“Yeah, I know. What did she say?” Steve asked, brushing imagined crumbs off his pants.

“She’ll tell me when she gets the results,” Danny responded, “What’ve you been doing? Besides worrying of course.”

“I haven’t been worrying…” Steve denied, but he could feel the look Danny was directing at him through the fine, “Okay fine, I have. But I’ve been doing plenty of things – I’ve nearly finished that puzzle.”

“You better not have touched my pieces,” Danny replied.

Steve laughed, “I haven’t, not yet anyway. Just hurry up and get better already.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!
> 
> Thanks again to Phoebe!


	4. Chapter 4

Danny woke to the feeling of someone brushing the hair from his face. He started in surprise and jerked away from the intruder – or at least he thought he’d jerked away, he suspected the movement was a far slower and milder action.

“Easy, Danno,” Steve’s voice murmured.

“Steve?” Danny croaked as he opened his eyes. Steve was standing beside his bed, wearing a face mask and gloves, which was far less than the hazmat suit he’d expected his partner to turn up in. “What are you doing? You can’t be here,” he tried to admonish his wayward friend.

“Results came back, Danno. You have the flu, not corona,” Steve told him, “Noelani said I’m fine to be here, so long as I take precautions. So she stocked me up with various PPE and drugs. Here, sit up for a moment.”

Danny grumbled, but did as he was asked, leaning on Steve a bit to help him. Once he was adequately slouching against the pillows, Steve gave him a few pills and some water, which he downed before his stomach realised he was awake.

“How you feeling?” Steve asked as he replaced the cup on the bedside table.

Danny gave a half shrug, “I’ve felt better. But I don’t feel as bad as before.”

And it was true, he felt mildly better. That is to say, he didn’t feel like he needed to throw up everything he’d ever eaten. But he didn’t think he could look, or even think about eating yet. Probably not for a while… 

“What did you just give me, anyway?” Danny asked, clearing his throat and sitting up a bit.

Steve sat on the edge of the bed and listed off, “Tylenol for the headache, fever and body aches, anti-emetics for the nausea, and more IV fluids to rehydrate you.”

Danny glanced up at the IV stand Noelani had erected by his bed yesterday and noted the new bag hanging there. He blinked heavily and ran a hand through his hair, making it stand up on end. “How long have you been here?” he asked, squinting back at Steve.

“Long enough,” Steve responded, “Did some cleaning.”

Danny frowned and pulled the covers up to his neck as a chill ran through his body, “What cleaning? This place is clean, I haven’t been here.”

Steve grimaced, “The bathroom, not so much.”

“Well excuse me, Steven, I haven’t been feeling well!” Danny snapped, his raised voice echoing through his head, making the pounding begin again. He groaned and put his hand against his forehead, trying to get the pain go away.

“I know, baby,” Steve responded softly, giving Danny’s knee a squeeze.

Danny groaned again and shuffled down the bed a bit and turned on to his side, “What are you doing here? You should be at home.”

“And leave you to have all the fun on your own?” Steve replied, then patted Danny’s leg and stood up, “I’ll let you get some rest.”

“Go home, Steven,” Danny grumbled.

“I will. Get some sleep, Daniel,” Steve responded, then left the room.

Steve sighed softly and leaned against the wall outside Danny’s bedroom. He hated seeing his partner when he was sick. He hated it even more because he felt responsible for Danny getting sick in the first place. He should have made Danny get the damned shot in the first place, if he had, this never would have happened. And then there was the fact that if he hadn’t been playing baby sitter to him, this may not have happened. Or maybe it would have. Regardless, he still felt responsible.

He ran a hand through his hair and pushed himself off the wall. Danny was right, his house was clean for the most part, but nothing a quick dust couldn’t make better. And maybe a vacuum… 

************************

The rest of the day and most of the following day passed much the same way. That evening when Steve plied Danny with his drugs again, Danny turned the corner, looking and feeling better. Danny’s stomach growled as Steve fussed with the IV line; Noelani said he probably didn’t need it anymore.

“Hungry?” Steve asked with a grin.

Danny returned the grin with a smile and a small nod, “I could eat.”

Steve fixed the IV port and gave his partner a fond look, “Good thing I stocked up with groceries. Feel like eggs?”

“What are the other options?” Danny asked, sitting up straighter against the pillows, “I could go some soup.”

“I thought you might say that. I brought over some instant soup packets – ”

“From your stash of MREs?” Danny interrupted, “You said you got rid of those.”

“Busted,” Steve muttered, putting his hands in his pockets, “I was going to make soup for you, but I remember what happened last time.”

Danny sighed and shook his head, then glanced at the ceiling as he said, “Okay, guess I’d better go the eggs.”

“You won’t regret it,” Steve responded, then turned to leave.

“Yeah, well you will if you nuke those eggs,” Danny grumbled.

“Good to see you’re getting your sense of humour back,” Steve said with a chuckle as he left the room.

“I never lost it!” Danny called back.

Steve made short work of cooking the eggs, then brought it back to Danny on a tray, with a weak cup of coffee. Danny gratefully took the tray and noted the hard boiled eggs with toast and admitted to himself that Steve at least knew how to cook some eggs. 

“Would you stop hovering?” Danny grumbled as he tucked into the meal.

“I’m not hovering,” Steve responded, but sat on the seat he’d put in the corner of the room. He scratched idly at the face mask as he watched Danny eat.

“Finished the puzzle yet?” Danny asked around a mouthful of food.

Steve shook his head, “I knew you’d get upset if I so much as looked as the pieces wrong.”

“Would I do that?” Danny asked playfully, “Doesn’t sound like me.”

“That sounds _exactly_ like you!” Steve exclaimed, the grin showing around the face mask.

“Well, you better not have touched it,” Danny responded.

Steve snorted, but didn’t say anything. The two men sat in silence as Danny finished the meal. Once he was done, Steve handed Danny the coffee, then put the tray on the dresser in the corner of the room.

“Thanks babe, that was better than expected,” Danny told him.

Steve grinned, “Yeah, not bad for microwaved eggs, right?”

“Steven!”

“I’m joking Danny,” Steve responded with a chuckle.

“You better be,” Danny replied, then he patted the bed beside him, “Come here.”

“Yes Sir,” Steve muttered, then climbed onto the bed and sat beside his partner.

“What the hell’s the matter with you, you big lemming? Wouldya act like a normal person for a change and get in under the covers?” Danny admonished the other man. 

“And risk getting what you got?” Steve asked.

Danny sighed softly and his whole face and posture deflated. “Yeah, you’re right, sorry,” he responded quietly.

Steve suppressed a sigh, he hated it when Danny looked like that, particularly when he was the one the cause it. Wordlessly, he got off the bed and slipped in under the covers. When he nestled in against Danny, he murmured to him, “If I get the flu, you’re nursing me back to health.”

Danny smiled at him, “Of course. I love you, babe.”

In response, Steve kissed Danny’s forehead through the mask and pulled Danny sideways so Danny’s head rested against his chest. Danny sighed happily and nestled in until he was more comfortable. Danny closed his eyes and started to drift off, when he heard Steve say softly back.

“Love you too, Danno.”

_______________________________________

FIN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're all staying safe!
> 
> Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!
> 
> Thanks again to Phoebe!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!
> 
> This will be a three or four chapter short fic.


End file.
